阻燃法规，美国 CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

15636 Federal Register /Vol. 73, No. 58/Tuesday, March 25, 2008/Rules and Regulations
Dated: March 18, 2008.
Emilio T. Gonzalez,
Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services.
[FR Doc. 08–1069 Filed 3–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–10–P
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1610
Standard for the Flammability of
Clothing Textiles
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Commission is amending
its flammability standard for general
wearing apparel, the Standard for the
Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16
CFR part 1610. The Standard, originally
issued in 1953, has become outdated in
several respects. The revisions better
reflect current consumer practices and
technologies and clarify several aspects
of the Standard.
DATES: The rule is effective September
22, 2008. The incorporation by reference
of the publication listed in this rule is
approved by the Director of the Federal
Register as of September 22, 2008.
FORFURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACT:
Mary Toro, Directorate for Compliance
and Field Operations, Consumer
Product Safety Commission, 4330 East
West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland
20814–4408; telephone (301) 504–7586;
e-mail mtoro@cpsc.gov.
flammability standards under the FFA.
15 U.S.C. 2079(b). In 1975, the
Commission published the FFA of 1953
at 16 CFR 1609 and codified the
Standard for the Flammability of
Clothing Textiles at 16 CFR 1610.
2. The Standard
The Commission’s revisions to the
Standard will update and clarify it. The
Standard describes a test apparatus and
the procedures for testing clothing and
textiles intended to be used for clothing.
It establishes three classes of
flammability. The classes are based on
measurement of burn time, along with
visual observations of flame intensity.
The classes are: Class 1 or normal
flammability; Class 2 or intermediate
flammability; and Class 3 or rapid and
intense burning. Clothing and textiles
that are categorized as Class 3 under the
prescribed test method are considered
dangerously flammable. 16 CFR 1610.4.
The Standard prescribes the method
of testing to determine the appropriate
classification. Five specimens are
subjected to a flammability tester. This
is a draft-proof ventilated chamber
containing an ignition medium, a
sample rack and an automatic timing
device. A swatch of each sample must
be subjected to the dry cleaning and
hand washing procedure prescribed by
the Standard. To determine results, the
average time of flame spread is taken for
five specimens. However, if the time of
flame spread is less than 4 seconds (31⁄2
seconds for plain-surfaced fabrics), five
additional specimens must be tested
and the average time of flame spread for
these ten specimens, or for as many of
them as burn, must be taken.
Classification is based on the reported
results before and after dry cleaning and
washing, whichever is lower.
data. An average of 120 clothing fire-
related fatalities occurred annually
during 2002–2004. Population fatality
rates increased with age. In addition, an
estimated 3,947 non-fatal injuries were
treated in hospital emergency
departments annually (2003–2005).
Among these non-fatal injuries, 25
percent were serious enough to require
admission to a hospital (compared to 5
percent for all consumer products).
B. Statutory Provisions
Section 4 of the FFA sets forth the
process by which the Commission can
issue or amend a flammability standard.
In accordance with that section, the
Commission issued an advance notice of
proposed rulemaking (‘‘ANPR’’) on
September 12, 2002, 67 FR 57770. The
Commission issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking (‘‘NPR’’) on February 27,
2007 containing the text of the proposed
rule along with alternatives the
Commission has considered and a
preliminary regulatory analysis. 72 FR
8844. Before issuing a final rule, the
FFA requires the Commission to prepare
a final regulatory analysis, and make
certain findings concerning any relevant
voluntary standard, the relationship
between costs and benefits of the rule,
and the burden imposed by the
regulation. 15 U.S.C. 1193(j). In
addition, the Commission must find that
the Standard (1) is needed to adequately
protect the public against the risk of the
occurrence of fire leading to death,
injury or significant property damage,
(2) is reasonable, technologically
practicable, and appropriate, (3) is
limited to fabrics, related materials or
products which present unreasonable
risks, and (4) is stated in objective
terms. Id. U.S.C. 1193(b).742